Been So Long
by beanO
Summary: Ten years after his freshmen year at Smallville High, he returns. This is the first time that I have written a story where there are flashbacks. Clark/Lana and everything in between. please understand that i am a very slow updater.
1. ch. 1

NOTE: "****" signifies a flashback and "\****/" signifies the end of the flashback  
  
  
  
Been So Long  
  
  
  
It had been so long. He vowed never to show his face again, but here he is standing in the mist of his fears. As he took a long perspective gaze at what was once his, the young man took his first steps into what he used to think was home.  
  
As the stranger walked through the door he couldn't help but bolt his eyes shut because of the overwhelming feeling of anger and sorrow. When he entered the room, he kept his eyes shut and listened to his footsteps echo off the walls. When he felt that his position in the room was satisfying, he found the courage to pry his eyes open. The first thing he saw was a streak of red from the middle of the wall down to the floor.  
  
****  
  
"What do you want from us?! Take everything you want and leave!"  
  
The three men remained motionless, each with smirks on their faces, until the man stationed in the middle of the trio spoke out.  
  
"Oh, but you see…everything I want is right there lying in your arms."  
  
Martha gazed at her dieing son, and began to pray with tears cascading down her cheeks. She held his hand and pressed it against her face and watched the drops of blood spill to the floor, with each drop seeming to scream out in pain and agony.  
  
"I WILL NOT LET YOU TAKE MY SO…"  
  
BANG!!! The green bullet found a path through Martha's chest, sending her body crashing against the wall.  
  
"I can't stand bitches that can't just shut the fuck up…"  
  
The deafening blast from the mussel of the gun sent a shot of adrenaline coursing through the dieing son's veins. As his eyes flickered, desperately trying to focus on the image in front of him, the stranger picked him up by the neck and wiped the blood from his face.  
  
"Are you sure this is him Lex?"  
  
\****/  
  
The young man stood in the middle of the room, with his thumb and middle finger massaging the sides of his forehead. He couldn't tolerate the bombardment of emotions that clashed in his mind, so he ran through the room, cut through the kitchen and busted through the door to catch a fresh breathe of air.  
  
His abrupt entrance into the sunlight caused his tender eyes to squint so he lifted his hand and placed it on his brow, creating shade for his eyes. As the stranger lifted his chin to see where he was, a massive smile manifested itself over the once lifeless lips.  
  
There, still standing tall after all these years, was the place that he thought was the only spot on the face of the planet that he believed he could find solitude from the rest of the world. It was a place where he could escape the suffocating grip of a teenage life, a place where he could think out loud and not a single person was able to hear him, but more importantly a place where he did not have to hide his true nature, his true self.  
  
****  
  
"Can I open my eyes yet dad?"  
  
"Not yet son, just a little further..." Jonathan whispered into the little boy's ear, "Ok, now you can open your eyes."  
  
With so much anticipation building inside the little boy's body he was forced to jump up and down as soon as he opened his eyes even without knowing what was in front of him. When his jumping frenzy had finally seized he took a long look at what his father was giving him.  
  
After a couple of minutes of turning all the knobs and pulling and twisting random rods, he turned to his father tilted his head and asked with a quiet little voice:  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Jonathan, after letting out a chuckle explained to his curious son,  
  
"It's a telescope, Clark. At night, when it's dark and real quiet, you can see all the little diamonds in the sky like they were placed right in front of you."  
  
"Hehehe. Dad, those aren't diamonds. Those are stars!"  
  
\****/  
  
When the young man reached the top of the stairs, he adjusted his glasses and was absolutely astonished that not a single thing had moved from its original place. He walked over too the window and gently pushed it aside.  
  
"Sunset already…" the stranger thought to himself when he saw the shades of red, orange, and yellow blend together brilliantly, welcoming the night sky.  
  
  
  
****  
  
"You made it!" Lana said with a smile on her face.  
  
"Sorry I'm late…"  
  
"It's just getting to the good part…What do you think?"  
  
"I think it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen…"  
  
"The other night on the porch, I felt like you were trying to tell me something…"  
  
"I was…but…Nell's timing was impeccable as always."  
  
"She's not here now…"  
  
"Ummm…what I wanted to tell you was…what I wanted to say was…I would never do anything to hurt you."  
  
"I know that"  
  
\****/  
  
"Clark? Clark Kent?"  
  
Surprised, Clark took a big gasp of air.  
  
That voice. It had been so long since he heard that tender voice.  
  
Clark turned his head around and said in a calm voice,  
  
"Lana." 


	2. ch. 2

Clark gazed into her eyes for what seemed to be an eternity. He wanted to tell her so many stories and so many events that progressed in his life. He wanted to ask her about everything that had happened since their last night together,  
  
****  
  
Clark extended his finger to ring the doorbell, but seemed to have a harder time then he thought with his violently trembling hand. When his fingertip was only moments away from making contact with the doorbell, he pulled back. He wanted to make some last minute adjustments, just to make sure everything was in place. Clark looked into the reflection from the window on the door…  
  
"Bowtie is good, CD is in the boom box, flower is still alive, just as Nell promised, her car isn't her…Ok, you can do this." Clark thought to himself.  
  
No superpower of his could possibly help him swallow the slowly growing feeling of nervousness that had started to accumulate the moment he stepped out of pick-up truck.  
  
Clark took one last gulp of air and rang the doorbell.  
  
"No answer…that definitely makes all this worthwhile" Clark whispered to himself sarcastically.  
  
As he was about to turn around…he heard the door slowly creek open.  
  
Lana poked her head through the opening of her door afraid someone might she her in her pajamas.  
  
Clark's ears propped up and a huge smile found its way to his face. Clark turned around and walked up to Lana face to face.  
  
"I knew you couldn't make it to prom, so I thought…"  
  
"Clark…I don't know what to say…"  
  
"I'd bring it to you…"  
  
\****/  
  
He wanted to know any and everything but he couldn't even to manage a single word to slip through his mouth.  
  
As the two stood in absolute silence, Clark tried to work up the courage to somehow break the silence. But what could he possibly say?  
  
With his head faced down, looking at his left foot pointlessly trying to dig through the wooden floor as if looking for a way out of the awkward moment, he asked:  
  
"I…"  
  
Lana with obvious pain and sorrow glazed over her eyes walked over to him and gently placed her finger over his lips. She looked into his eyes and removed her finger just as gently as she first made contact.  
  
SMACK  
  
With all her strength, Lana slapped him across the face.  
  
"I can't believe you have the nerve to come back here again."  
  
"…"  
  
He had so much to tell her. So many things he desperately needed to explain to her. But he didn't want to hurt her anymore then she already was.  
  
"What are you doing here Clark?"  
  
"…"  
  
Lana had so many thoughts racing through her mind. She had fantasized about the very moment that she and he would meet again. She dreamt that Clark would unexpectedly show up when The Talon was finally turned into a cinema theatre, or he would suddenly appear when she gave her graduation speech when she finished four years at Metropolis University, and she had wished so many nights that he would be standing outside waiting to take her away from all the pain and sorrow that filled her life.  
  
With a single tear flowing from her eye, she started to beat Clark with her tiny hands and desperately tried to ascertain an answer  
  
"What are doing here Clark?! Why did you have to show up now…today…" She could feel all her pent up emotions flowing out, she felt herself loosing control. She didn't mean to cry but she felt herself slowing slipping… "Why did you leave me Clark?...I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye…"  
  
Lana hooked her hands onto his shoulders, buried her face into Clark's chest and began to sob. With each tear she felt little pieces of her pain drift away, she felt something she hadn't felt in the longest time. She felt warmth and comfort.  
  
Clark could only observe as Lana poured out her heart and soul to him. He saw how much of her suffering was caused by him. As more of Lana's body leaned into his, he felt an incredible urge to just pick her up and introduce her to the sky, he wanted to take her high enough so that they could touch the moon. But all he could do was put one arm around her waist and place his other hand on her head. As Clark stood there with his broken angel weeping in his arms, he felt something he hadn't felt in the longest time. He felt warmth and comfort.  
  
"You promised you'd never do anything to hurt me Clark…"  
  
"I'm sorry…" 


End file.
